The Ladies of Horror
Picture-Prompt Writing Challenge!

Greater Grains of Atlanta
by Kathleen McCluskey

Marie was jolted awake, she looked around and realized she was the only one left at Greater Grains of Atlanta. She dozed off doing the year end reports, and now the place was deserted. The constant hum of the grain machines had ceased for the day; she could distinctly hear the earth sound of the small river that ran through the mill. The security lights cast a smooth orange glow onto the equipment giving them an archaic ambience.

The catwalk she had to traverse to get to the stairs and her car creaked and moaned under her feet. Walking into the darkness she stopped as she thought she heard the crack of a whip. She leaned over the railing and squinted her eyes to see if anything was amiss. Not seeing anything she continued to walk, this time faster. She again stopped as she could feel somebody breathing down her neck. She spun around. Standing before her was a very angry apparition holding a whip. He reached out and grabbed her by the throat. She tried to scream but her voice would not come. “I am the task master and you are not where you belong, slave.” He threw her off the cat walk and onto the hard concrete below. He landed beside her, whip raised above his head, “You will work until I tell you to stop. This plantation has no room for laziness. You will pay.” He began to whip Marie.

In the morning when the foreman walked into the building he spotted Marie. She was curled in a bloody ball. He could see long gaping wounds on her back; the material of her dress was shredded. The gory, bloodstained gashes had dried the material onto her skin. He had to hold back tears as he shook his head. He remembered the legends of the old mill and the property it sat on. He recalled the stories his grandfather had told him about his ancestry and his great grandfather’s role as a task master. Above him on the catwalk his forefather smiled.

Fiction © Copyright Kathleen McCluskey
Image courtesy of Pixabay.com

More from Kathleen McCluskey:

The Long Fall: Book 1: The Inception of Horror

Lucifer always cunning and intelligent challenges father to a battle of wits. Being the angel of light he casts a judgemental eye upon mankind. He begins a war with his fellow archangels and God. Michael, along with his siblings defend their home and mankind from their deranged brother. Broad swords and hand to hand combat drench heaven in blood. The four apocalyptic steeds are released, each having their own destructive power. Betrayal and lust are at biblical levels. Understand the very creation of evil and the consequenses that transpire in the first of THE LONG FALL series.

Available on Amazon!